windows 7 on legacy network

[Gerard]

we have a legacy network running windows 2003 server r2 with xp clients
 
most quotes im getting for machines to upgrade one suite are coming with windows 7 .
what sort of work is needed for these to join the domain? will group policy's etc apply to windows 7 as iv no experience.
we have the network set up by richard at seelb
 
failing that where would you lot order xp pro licences from?

[Bill Bixby]

Pugh for licences
Are the machines coming with Windows 7 Professional?  The home version doesn't allow you to connect to a domain.

[Aaron]

i am hoping that this summer to move our machines over to windows 7 and move the servers up to 2008r2 from 2008. i just need to work on GPO's for windows 7

[Gerard]

I just have this one last suite of old rm?s to get rid off then our whole legacy will be running decent enough machine capable or running windows 7 if we ever choose to upgrade them to it but im having a hard time getting the machines and licence for xp in under our budget

[Aaron]

i think not 100% about this but i think you can get a license for windows 7 but downgrade to windows xp as long as your license for 7 is the professional i think and the licenses arnt really that expensive about ?30 odd from what i remember.

[Gerard]

just googled that there think your right

May 7, 2010
Last year, Microsoft said that customers could downgrade new machines purchased with Windows 7 Professional to the older Windows XP Professional for a limited period. The deal ends 18 months after the introduction of Windows 7 -- in other words, in late April 2011 -- or when Microsoft launches Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), whichever comes first."

[Aaron]

gives you a bit of time at least when you purchase a computer with winods 7 professional and downgrade to xp you can always upgrade in future

[Stephen]

From pre C2k (when we had a windows network that I administrated) we used to have a boot disk that would have kicked the machine off on a network build. Now I am trying to remember this from way back but surely there is a way you can build new machines into the network it is just a matter of adding the new drivers into the build. Or has everything changed in the last 10 years. One of the problems of C2k existing is you forget how to properly administrate a system so if the matter comes up you have to relearn everything you used to know.

[Aaron]

using WDS on server 2008 you create your images and just boot into PXE type in adminstrator username and password to get your build images and then joing to domain it builds the machine again and joins it to the domain ready for your GPO to update it becomes more difficult when you need to add drivers onto the boot images for older machines.